News

Serial crook Peter Foster was arrested on August 20th over allegations of a global sports betting scam worth millions of dollars. Mr Foster, who has already spent some time in jails in the UK, the US, Australia and Vanuatu, was arrested during a walk along the beach in Port Douglas. The arrest was carried out by two Queensland detectives. The alleged fraud is associated with Sport Predictions, a company that claimed to work with experts, who were engaged to place bets on various sporting events. However, according to allegations, the…

One of the major anti-gambling organisations on the territory of Australia – Alliance for Gambling Reform – has called for the country’s authorities to give National Rugby League teams and players the right to withdraw themselves from use in same-game multi-bets. The charity also warned that sports codes are actually making it easier for the rights of their players to be abused online. So-called same-game multi-bets are a type of bets that make it possible for gamblers to merge several selections within a single game while seeking to get a…

Australian professional jockey Adam Hyeronimus has been suspended from participating in horse races for three years over a massive betting scandal. The 30-year-old Hyeronimus, a Group 1-winning jockey, was found guilty on 30 of 31 charges in placing illegal bets. He was accused of using the SportsBet account owned by his cousin, Blake Paine, to place bets on horse races. As it became clear during the investigation, two of the abovementioned bets involved horses rode in races by Hyeronimus. A few days ago, the two men fronted stewards once again…

The UK Government is set to raise the minimum age for playing the National Lottery as part of the local authorities’ efforts to prevent underage individuals from gambling. All customers under the age of 18 are set to be suspended from playing Lotto and Thunderball at the time when a massive crackdown on the industry comes into force. The ban will mean that 16 and 17-year-olds will no longer be able to play lottery games on the Internet or purchase some of the National Lottery products, such as popular scratchcards…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has revealed more information regarding the impact of the more relaxed coronavirus lockdown measures on local people’s online gambling behaviour. The provided data, which was collected by the regulator from the largest online gambling companies and involves online gambling only, reflects not only March 2020 but also three months of full lockdown in April, May and June 2020. As the UKGC shared, gambling behaviours of local people have changed at a time when the country is gradually easing its full lockdown measures. According to the…

One of the biggest punters in Queensland has been charged by the police in one of the most significant cases of gambling-related fraud in Australia. According to allegations, Paul John Montgomery misappropriated over AU$10 million from bank accounts of RDS, a civil engineering firm, in the ten-year period from 2007 to 2017. The 55-year-old man was accused of using a number of bank accounts to transfer money from the family business he worked for into his own personal accounts. On August 13th, he faced one charge of fraud in the…

Some Premier League players have questioned the betting operators’ practice of using their personal statistics, wondering whether they have any rights over their performance datа. Such data is often used by gambling companies to educate gamblers or by online fantasy leagues to help gamers choose their teams. According to reports, more than 400 former and current football players are set to file a group lawsuit over the use of their personal performance data. The players, many of whom are from the English Premier League (EPL), claim that the betting companies…

A new study carried out by the Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory (EGRL) of the Central Queensland University has found a link between loot boxes and gambling-related harm. The research found that individuals, who purchase so-called loot boxes, are more likely to become gamblers in real life. In addition, such players were more likely to place larger bets and more often in comparison to others who do not purchase such in-game items. The research, prepared for the Responsible Gambling Fund of the NSW Government, took into consideration the behaviour of 1,954…

English football club Leeds United revealed that it has entered a multi-year partnership agreement with the gambling company SBOTOP. The sports betting brand is set to become the main sponsor of the club, with its logo set to be featured on the front of the club’s shirt as of the beginning of the 2020/2021 season. The sponsorship deal signed with SBOTOP has been the biggest commercial deal in the history of Leeds United. The football club’s Executive Director, Paul Bell, described the partnership as a landmark deal for the commercial…

As Casino Guardian reported last week, pokie machines in Wellington could have their days numbered, as consultation on a proposed sinking lid policy is set to start soon. For the time being, a total of 633 pokie machines are operating in the city, and their number in the region is 938. The implementation of the proposed sinking lid policy would strip the local authorities of the chance to issue new licences for pokie machines, and the existing terminals will not be allowed to transfer to a new owner or establishment…